Putty knife



March 12, 1940. F. R. BussERT PUTTY KNIFE Filed May 20. 1938 Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES TENT This invention relates to improvements in putty knives and consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. f gli The improved. putty knife is designed more particularly for use by the amateur or one inexperiencedin the application of putty to secure a window pane in a window sash. The ordinary putty knife when manipulated by an expert glazier, is capable of forming in the angle of the frame member of the sash and the window pane, a symmetrical sealing body of putty with a straight, unwavering edge in contact with the pane and with a substantially smooth, flat surface of the exposed putty. In the hands of the amateur, however, the result is uneven and wavy, and the edge of the putty next to the glass, instead of terminating in a line opposite the edge of the stop of the sash against which the window pane is secured, projects beyond said edge in a staggering line to be seen whenlooking through the window from the inside.

The object of the present invention is to provide a putty knife of simple and economical construction, which in the hands of the amateur may be used to apply putty with a result as to smoothness and symmetry which closely approximates that of an expert glazier.

The advantages of the invention will appear more fully as I proceed with my specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved putty knife.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

35 Fig. 3 is a perspective View illustrating the manner of using the improved putty knife when applying putty to secure the window pane in place in the sash.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in front elevation on a somewhat enlarged scale, showing the application of the tool to the sash on one hand, and to the window pane on the other.

Fig. 5 is a View representing a cross section through Fig. 4 in a plane indicated by the line 5-5 Fig. 4. f

Fig. 6 is a rear end view of the putty knife.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated and described herein, the improved putty knife is formed as a part of the ordinary putty knife, with the latter at one end and the improvement at the other end. I0 indicates such a putty knife consisting of a comparatively wide strip of sheet metal II having one end I2 disposed at a right or lesser angle to the length of the strip, as in the ordinary putty knife. The other end of said strip is reduced in width and is bent along its longitudinal median line to form narrow blades I3, I3 disposed at an obtuse angle to each other, with the apex I4 of said angle co-incident with said longitudinal median line. The blades I3, I3 terminate in ends I5, I5 which are preferably disposed at angles to said longitudinal median line somewhat less than a right angle. For a short distance back of said ends I5 the blades I3 are separated at the angle between them by a narrow slot I6.

I'I indicates a window sash with a stop I8` against which a window pane It is to be secured by putty. 20 indicates the corner presented by the window sash adjacent the lwindow pane in the angle between which is to be applied the putty indicated at 2 I.

In the use of the improved putty knife, after the window pane has been secured against the stops I8 by brads in the usual way, putty is at rst applied roughly in any manner without any particular attempt to smooth or even it up, as for example by means of the ordinary putty knife end I2 of the strip I I. The other end of the strip is then appliedy with the end I5 of one blade I3 iiat against the face of the sash adjacent the corner 20, and with the end I5 of the other blade I3 with its outer corner in contact with the glass and its other corner engaged at or adjacent to the corner 20 ofthe sash, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In thus presenting the toolto the glass and sash, it may be gripped by one hand as shown in Fig. 3, with the length ofthe tool disposed at an Aacute angle to the plane of the sash. v

The tool may be conveniently grasped with the iingers underneath the tool, and with the thumb disposed in line with the blade I3, the end i5 of which is thereby held in close contact with the sash. Beginning at the angle between two members of the sash, the tool is drawn down towards the other angle, preferablyin one continuous movement. The one end I5 irl-engagement with the putty, evens up and smooths the face of the putty to conform to the hypotenuse of the triangle designed to be formed in the angle between the window pane and the sash by the surface of the putty. One corner of said end in engagement with the glass cuts off superfluous putty beyond the line followed by said corner. Surplus putty adjacent the corner 2li of the sash is likewise cut olf and permitted to escape through the slot I6. Said surplus edges of putty may be afterwards wiped olf both the glass and off the sash, leaving a finished, smooth body of putty of uniform cross section in the angle between the glass and the sash, as shown at 22.

By reason of the fact that the ends I of the blades I3 are at less than a right angle to the line at the apex I4 between the two blades, a mitre joint as indicated at 23 is readily formed at the corners of the frame members of the sash.

The two blades I3, I3 are preferably made of like dimensions and are of such width as may be required by the distance that the corner presented by the window sash is offset from the plane of the window pane. Thus the standard thickness of the ordinary window sash is 1% inches, and said offset is about inch, whereas the standard thickness of a storm sash is 11/8 inches and said oifset is inch. The blades will accordingly be made of standard width to. meet the requirements of one or the other sash.

Since both blades are made of the same width in the preferred form, the tool may be used either by the right hand or by the left hand, the one blade contacting the sash in one case and the other blade contactingr the sash in the second case.

By making the blades of the improved putty knife at one end of a strip of metal, the other end of which is formed as an ordinary putty knife, the part of the strip intermediate the two ends constitutes an efficient handle for operating the improved putty knife at o-ne end or the ordinary putty knife at the other end.

It will be obvious to those familiar with the art that the tool as described may be cheaply manufactured in great numbers by means of a stamping device which will at once cut and form each tool by successive operations of the stamping device upon a strip of metal intermittently fed to it in suitable lengths.

While in describing my invention I have referred to several details of construction and arrangement of parts, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto except as may be pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A putty knife comprising blades disposed at an obtuse angle to each other, with a space between them at the apex of said angle and extending to the ends of said blades, and means providing a handle adapted to maintain said blades in said relation.

2. A putty knife comprising blades disposed at an obtuse angle to each other, with a narrow space between them at the apex of said angle and extending to their ends, said blades being joined together back of their ends, and a Wider at blade with which said first two blades are made rigid.

3. A putty knifestamped and formed from a strip of sheet metal, comprising a at blade at one end and a pair of narrower blades at the other end disposed at an obtuse angle to each other, with a narrow space between them at the apex of said angle and extending to the ends of said blades.

4. A putty knife comprising blades disposed at an obtuse angle to each other, with a space between them at the apex of said angle and extending to their ends, said blades having ends disposed at angles less than right angles to the line containing the apex of said obtuse angle, and means providing a handle adapted to maintain said blades in said relation.

FRANK R. BUSSERT. 

